GlutenFreeSingles
GlutenFreeSingles is an online dating platform that specifically caters to those individuals who practice a gluten-free lifestyle either by choice or due to health concerns. Users can pay to create a profile and interact with other members to find love, an exercise buddy, or a fellow diet connoisseur. Background Information GlutenFreeSingles is a dating website created in 2013, and functions similarly to other social media websites like Facebook or Instagram where users have a newsfeed and can choose who to message based on their “status” or bio. However, like most adult dating website (i.e. not Tinder or Bumble), you have to pay for their services, so many of the site’s functions are behind a paywall. While it is clear that the company values those who have gluten restrictions, they are also attempting to make money and therefore limit who can interact with their services. Mission "To spread awareness about celiac disease and give the gluten-free community the opportunity for a successful relationship." Awards 2014 Finalist for "Up and coming dating site" at the 2014 IDate awards. Interface Features While it is not explicitly stated, it seems as though this interface was designed by the two “health conscious friends” that started GlutenFreeSingles. The About Us page is extremely vague and does not explicitly state who is in charge of this website. The company as a whole does not provide information for users about its origins, but by simply observing the interface, it is clear that the form is fairly simplistic; it looks as though this website would better fit-in during the early 2000s. Because the designers do not seem to reflect their company values in their design, the usability is clunky and not especially intuitive. While their ultimate goal is to provide an outlet for those with gluten allergies/intolerances to find love, their interface does not provide a clear direction for users. It is obvious that whoever designed the website was more focused on the content of what they were displaying than how users would interact with it. Context for the Website This interface is designed in the context of online dating and follows similar formats to other websites like eHarmony and Match.com. However, unlike those websites, GlutenFreeSingles operates only as a desktop app and does not include a mobile option. What Can You Do? GlutenFreeSingles.com seems to be used by the majority as a dating website. However, when signing up to use the site, one is prompted to choose what they are looking for in a match. These options cover “female”, “male” and “other” in what seems to be the dating portion of the website. Users can also choose to select “friend”, “fitness interest” or “health interest” along with a “select all” option. After choosing their preferred match, users also get to select the desired relationship they wish to have with their matches. The pre-chosen options are “friendship”, “marriage”, “short-term dating”, “long-term dating”, “exercise groups”, “exercise buddy”, “casual dating/no commitment”, “long distance relationship/penpal”, and “dinner date”. Through the inclusion of these different connections that users of the site can choose, GlutenFreeSingles opens its interface up to be more than just a dating website. Profile Settings * Zodiac sign * Interests * Ethnicity * Height * Weight * Body type * Hair color * Eye color * Health * Occupation * Religion * Importance of their spirituality * Number of children * If / Why children are gluten free * If they want children * Spoken languages * Education level * Income * If they smoke * If they do drugs * Why they're gluten-free * How long they’ve been gluten-free * How important being healthy is to them * Where/how they prefer to eat * If they use gluten-free products * What they’re good at * What their diet is * Pets * If they drink * What their favorite book, movie, TV show, and music are * 5 things they can’t live without * Allergies Personalization The level of personalized detail within the profile that can be added is almost unprecedented in most common and contemporary dating sites. Most dating apps and site, such as Tinder, place a character restriction on the number of characters in the user’s bio, similar to Twitter. By increasing the amount of information that can be present in a user’s profile, the GlutenFreeSingles interface is allowing users to customize their experience and filter out any unwanted matches. GlutenFreeSingles members can be searched and filtered by any of the categories listed above, making it very easy for someone who wants a specific set of traits to find their perfect match. Problems with Personalization This can become problematic in some instances because this interface is still growing in popularity, if users are placing too many filters on their searches, they may not be able to find anyone who fits their criteria. It is also possible that, through apply all of the specific filters, one may filter out their perfect match because they don’t fall within the slim categories set by the website. Subscriptions and Limitations One of the major constraints that becomes very clear with only a few minutes on GlutenFreeSingles, is the paywall that most of the content is hidden behind. According to their Upgrade page, there are three membership levels: one month, three months, and six months. Regular Membership The first is their one-month regular membership for $11.99 a month. This tier gives all of the same perks that the three- and six-month membership has, except for users cannot add a star next to their profile, indicating they are a star member. Premium Membership The three-month Premium membership, along with the six-month Premium, allows users to be “star members” indicated by a gold star next to their profile name. It costs $9.99 per month for the three-month membership (for a total of $29.97) and $8.99 per month for the six-month membership (for a total of $53.94). Free One-Month Trial There is also an option to have a one-month free trial. However, when claiming the free trial, instead of immediately being applied to the account, there is a claim filed that has to be reviewed before the trial can be given. There is no statement on the website about who is reviewing the claims or how long it will take before your claim has been approved. This becomes a problem for people who do not want to spend money to find their perfect match because members cannot interact with other users on the site without some sort of paid membership. The only thing that can be done for free is to create a profile. Using the Website Setting up a GlutenFreeSingles profile is very straightforward. Everything is placed into categories, and individuals check off which option best describe themselves or their desires for potential matches. The times in which one is prompted to write in their own response are very few and give simple instructions about what should be said. The interface is set up very similarly to Facebook, which adds to the usability of the design. Interacting with other members on the website is very intuitive as well, with a green button placed on each profile that says “send email”. Messaging As long as one is a paid member, they can click on that an immediately be able to send a message. If another member is on the website at the same time as you, a red button that says “chat now” will pop up next to the green, and the users can begin sending instants chats to each other. Ease of Use The design of the website, and the interfaces used to interact within it, are very simple. Because the majority of users are over 30, the website finds itself to be very user-friendly and easy to figure out, which then allows members to focus more on finding their match, rather than attempting to navigate the website. Policies and Rules The terms of use page boasts a large list of policies that users must comply with in order to use this website, the first of which is stating a minimum age: 18. However, most people would not know how to find out if each user is actually eighteen. GlutenFreeSingles states that they reserve the right to perform a criminal background check on its users, but does not explicitly say that they attempt to verify age; it is based solely on the honor system of people using the site. It may seem obvious, but another stipulation of the site is that you must be gluten-free to use their services, but without medical records or actually meeting the individual in question, you would never know whether someone is telling the truth or not. However, since the site operates behind a paywall, most people would assume that you would only be willing to shell out the money if you were actually gluten-free. Another interesting policy that is explicitly mentioned is that users can use their services “if you are Single, Separated, or Divorced. glutenfreesingles.com LLC is NOT liable for false information given.” I imagine this specific distinction was put in place after the Ashley Madison debacle in order to save face if something were to come out about married people using the site to cheat. It is important to note this distinction because it creates restrictions on user communication. Identities and Communities As the name implies, this website is explicitly meant for people who are gluten-free and encourages people who are both medically required to be gluten-free or choose the dietary restriction. While the terms of use page specifically states that only those who are gluten free should use the site, it seems like most other identities are represented on the site. When making a personal profile there are a wide variety of options for how to create your identity. Types of Relationships You can state that you are interested in a friendship, marriage, long-term or short-term, exercise buddy, or casual dating. If you choose to disclose the information, you can also list your race, astrological sign, and even the type of animal you prefer. Questions for Members Gluten Free Singles asks a surprising number of questions for its users, seemingly encouraging a wide variety of people and identities to utilize their site, but one cannot forget that you have to pay in order to access many of their services. Those in a lower socioeconomic class would not be likely to choose GlutenFreeSingles as their luxury spending. Category:Glutenfreesingles